Sometimes we find ourselves in a sticky situation. Occasionally it is our own mistakes or sins that bring us into those circumstances. At other times they are situations that the devil throws at us to trip us up and trap us. Sometimes these circumstances can be very serious and even threatening to our safety or life. Our psalm for this week was written right after such an event in the life of David. Let’s look into this Scripture and what the Lord can teach us here.
As mentioned, this psalm was written by David. We know that several years in his early adulthood were spent on the run from the murderous plots of King Saul against him. At one time he thought he could find safety hiding in a place no one would expect, that being in the court of one of the Philistine kings, King Achish (I Samuel 21:10-15). However, Achish’s noblemen and courtiers whispered suspicions to him that David couldn’t be trusted because he had frequently fought against the Philistines. When David found out, he knew he was in imminent danger. He quickly decided to act like a madman by crawling on the ground, scratching at doors, and drooling. By doing that they just kicked him out of the city, and his life was spared. David knew that this deliverance was from the Lord, not just his own ingenuity, and he penned this psalm in praise of Him.
We all find ourselves in various degrees of problems, most perhaps not so serious as that, but there are some of you who may be in a really desperate spot. How can we find such help? The answer for David and for us is by turning to the Lord God. God promises great blessings to His people. Many of these blessings, though, require our active participation. God promises here to deliver us from fear (vs. 4), save us out of our troubles (vs. 6), guard and deliver us (vs. 7), show us goodness (vs. 8), supply our needs (vs. 9), listen to us (vs. 15), and redeem us (vs. 22).
However, in order to receive God’s blessings we must seek Him (vs. 4, 10), cry out to Him (vs. 6, 17), trust Him (vs. 8), fear Him (vs. 7, 9), refrain from lying (vs. 13), turn from evil, do good, and seek peace (vs. 14), and serve Him (vs. 22). David said that these qualities and behaviors are found in those who fear the Lord. Reverence is more than just sitting quietly in church. It includes obeying God.
David tied respect for the Lord with the way we use our words (vs. 12-13). We need to keep our tongues from evil, and our lips from telling lies. In Psalm 39:1 David even suggests that sometimes we ought to put a muzzle on our mouth to keep our tongue from sin! Our words have the power to build up or to tear down.
Our Father in heaven is all-wise and all-loving. When fears start to overwhelm us, we need to stop and remember that He is our God, and He will always hold us up. When we believe that God is good, we can release our fears. When we are afraid of the problems, and even the danger that surrounds us, it is good to remember the occasions in the past when God has heard and answered our prayers, and delivered us from our fears (vs 4).
As we read verses 9 and 10, this is not a blanket promise that we will have everything we want. This is a praise for God’s goodness. All those who call upon God in their need will be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways. God knows what we need. To have a relationship with Jesus is to have all that we really need. When we have a desire, we need to ask if that is really a need, whether it is really good for us, and if it is the best time for it.
When we are feeling the farthest away from God, He is actually the closest to us. In times of trouble, no one is closer than Jesus Christ. He did not abandon David when he was hiding among the Philistines, nor will He abandon us in our times of crisis. God has promised to save us, even in our darkest time. We can praise Him that we are His people and He is our Deliverer.
When a crisis comes, and we can be sure that they will come at some point in our life, we should cry out to God. But we must be sure to do so with righteous hearts. Then He will hear and answer, either fulfilling our hoped-for request, or providing a different solution. Because God is omniscient, loving, and sovereign, we can fully trust that He will answer us in our best interests.
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